Back to school means that children face a number of issues and challenges in the classroom. There are learning disabilities, and bullying, violence, plus discrimination. There are also some disadvantaged schools and classrooms without enough books or desks. Additionally, many children themselves are facing health challenges such obesity, dyslexia, or depression.



One student drops out every 26 seconds in America, and for African-Americans the number is one million dropouts a year. (Source: American Alliance)

In fact, Harvard found in a study that black students fall behind by the time they are three years old. Three quarters of one million New York students are a minority, and 70 percent are impoverished. Schools are fighting to change this, proving that smaller schools, mentoring and focusing on a student's individual needs is what is beating the odds.

Parents and teachers realize that education is more than just classrooms and books. What is finally encouraging, is that the government is finally proposing new bills to help deflect problems like this and increase a student's chances to learn.

Perhaps you have wondered if more kids attended school, maybe there would be less crime? The relationship between school attendance and crime goes back more than 200 years.

Crime has been around for thousands of years, long before the school attendance statutes. References to youth gangs are recorded in the Bible along with education, achievement and learning.

On August 1, 2008 Senator Kennedy introduced the Time for Innovation Matters in Education (TIME) Act, which appears to be an important next step for the movement on expanded learning time.

Co-sponsored by Senator Jeff Bingaman of New Mexico and Senator Bernie Sanders of Vermont, the Act is intended to provide federal funding that supports states expanding their school days. The ACT, a reform initiative, is modeled after the Massachusetts Expanded Learning Time Initiative, and would enable low-performing, high-poverty schools to implement a longer school days or school years by 2010.

If the TIME Act is enacted, $350 million will be allocated next year and up to $500 million in 2014.

Senator Kennedy emphasizes the need to help American schools to remain competitive, and to ensure that each student gets a 21st century education. Kennedy and his co-sponsors believe in expanded learning time as a promising reform strategy.